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| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,805 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,805 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
General  | General | 1/1/2023

Moving Up; Franco Jumps to 2024 Class

Photo: Noah Franco (Perfect Game)

When you think of a player jumping up a grade, there are none more famous that when Bryce Harper announced he was foregoing his senior season and instead enrolled as a freshman at the College of Southern Nevada as a 17-year-old freshman, a season in which he won the Golden Spikes Award before going first overall to the Washington Nationals in 2010. 

Using one of the best players in baseball isn’t necessarily a fair example in terms of setting the bar, but over the last couple of years we’ve seen a subtle increase with players jumping grades, expediting either their draft process or the college experience by a year. In 2020 we saw both Blaze Jordan and Nick Bitsko leap up a year before hearing their names called in the third and first rounds, respectively, and signed for a near combined $5 million. Just this past year we saw another pair of prospects forego a year of their high school career as Cam Collier went the same route as Harper as he enrolled at Chipola (Fla.) in place of his senior season before signing for $5 million as the 18th overall pick while Walter Ford skipped his junior season and got the call from the Seattle Mariners in the second round, signing for $1.25 million. 



As mentioned above, some players do it for draft purposes while others announce their intentions of either foregoing the draft and enrolling in college early or seeing how the draft process works out before arriving on campus. Former Perfect Game All-American Robert Stock enrolled at USC as a 16-year-old in August of 2006 despite first round draft projection before making his ascent to the big leagues, a path current freshmen Brady Neal (LSU) and Cade Kurland (Florida), both PG Select Festival alum, look to follow while paying immediate dividends as SEC powerhouses. 



 We are still well over a year out before the 2024 draft cycle starts but we’ve already seen three prominent members of the 2025 class jump to the 2024 now with the latest coming in California native and current IMG Academy left-hander/outfielder Noah Franco who has announced he will become a member of the 2024. Ranked as the No. 1 ranked player in the country as a 2025 at the time of his reclassing, curiously enough, Franco is the second top ranked player in the class to springboard up as he follows the footsteps of Mississippi outfielder Konnor Griffin who made the jump at the onset of this past summer cycle and debuted at No. 2, never breaking stride as one of the most electric prospects in the country. Rounding out the trio of 2025s to 2024 is Florida outfielder and left-hander Michael Torres, former 13u Select Festival MVP, who’s currently ranked No. 21 in the class and shows an intriguing combination of tools in all facets of his game. 

Now that we’ve done some background and brief recap of others, lets dig in and see who Franco is as a player. Since the initial class rankings which appeared in December of 2020, Franco has been viewed as a top prospect in the class with a debut of No. 21 before a surge in 2022 which is when the broad shouldered, taper waisted 6-foot-3 Franco began his ascent up the rankings, ultimately securing the top spot this past July. It was during the High School Showdown where Franco truly cemented himself on the heels of an MVP performance where he slashed an otherworldly .733/.765/1.631 over 4 games while striking out a pair in his lone inning on the mound. That performance set the tone for the young Mississippi State commit for the rest of the summer, leaving no doubt as to his talents, though one question did and still does linger. At the end of the day, is he a bat or an arm?

Why are we seeing a slight uptick in players reclassing upwards? A quick look at the prep picks in this past year’s MLB Draft who were selected in the first round reveals the average age was 18.4 (including Cam Collier, 18.5 without his inclusion) at the time of the draft, something that certainly is factored into the evaluation process. Let's go back a couple more years: 2021 average was 18.4, 2020 was 18.3 and 2019 was 18.5

If we use that mark and look at Franco’s current age path, assuming a July draft come 2025, he’d be a bit north of the 2022 average at 19.2 age and thus a draft eligible sophomore should he arrive in Starkville. By making the move, not only can he go through the draft process a year earlier, but he’ll do so while playing the entirety of his junior season as a 16 year old and doing the summer circuit as a newly turned 17 year old before being ~ 18.2 on draft. Every player and family has their own reasons for doing anything they do along their own journey and whether or not the age at draft has anything to do with Franco’s decision, it’s an interesting aspect none-the-less. 


General | General | 2/23/2026

PG Salutes Chet Brewer, a Youth Baseball Pillar

Jim Salisbury
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PG Salutes Chet Brewer, a Youth Baseball Pillar A few weeks ago, Perfect Game and its Believe in Baseball foundation held a fundraising event in Los Angeles. The “In the Spirit of the Game” dinner and auction brought in thousands of dollars, all of which will go toward providing deserving youngsters an opportunity to play and grow in the game. Chet Brewer was not at the event – the former Negro Leagues star died at age 83 in 1990 – but his spirit was. Big time. “That night was all about Chet,” PG commissioner Dennis Gilbert said. “He was all about giving kids chances to play the game, especially kids from underprivileged backgrounds. “When you’re 15, 16, 17 years old – those years are the basis of your life. Chet helped put a lot of kids on the right path through the game of baseball.” Brewer’s impactful life has...
High School | Rankings | 3/31/2026

High School Top 50: March 31

Tyler Russo
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Another pair of weeks has gone by this high school season and with that we have another High School Top-50 Update. Southern states are within a few weeks of the end of the season while some northern states are just getting started this week. Through the end of the spring, we will be bringing you updates to the Top-50 along with state rankings updates coming soon. For the first time in 2026, we have a new #1 in the country as Orange Lutheran (CA) takes over the top spot after winning the NHSI. Venice (FL) came in second place at the NHSI after a thrilling game against Orange Lutheran and comes in at #2. Previous #1 team in the country St. John Bosco (CA) rounds out the top-3 and will have a big showdown against Orange Lutheran starting tonight. Barbe (LA) boasts a 26-1 record and comes in at #4 while Corona (CA) continues to string together wins and holds down the #5 spot in this update....
College | Story | 3/31/2026

PG Collegiate Midseason Awards

Vincent Cervino
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Midseason Awards  Perfect Game Midseason Player of the Year:  Landon Hairston, OF, Arizona State  The season sophomore outfielder Landon Hairston is putting together is generational, even amongst the Hall of Fame talent Arizona State has fielded over the years.  Hairston, the 5-11/195 sophomore outfielder from Queen City, AZ has his club on track for another postseason appearance and they will make plenty of noise in the Big 12 regular season.  To put things in perspective on Hairston’s season, he is currently 5th in the nation in batting average, 3rd in hits, 8th in hits per game, tied for 2nd in home runs, tied for 5th in runs scored and is 4th in runs batted in so far.  He holds a batting average of .469 while slugging 1.027 and reaching base over half the time with an OBP of .551.  Hairston walks more than he strikes out and has 12 doubles, 17...
Tournaments | Story | 3/31/2026

14u East Spring Opener Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Roman Keister (2030, Dade City, FL) Could not miss the barrel this weekend tallying 6 hits including 2 triples and 4 RBI. Starts the load early and controls his body well, the up the middle approach really plays in game. Also worked from off the mound for an inning and picked up a punch out.  Colton Russo (2030, Coral Springs, FL) Showed off the power burning outfielders all weekend. 5 hits including two triples that carried over the CF and RF heads. Has a good understanding about using the lower half in the swing and the bat to ball skills really impressed.  Karson Blakney (2030, St. Augustine, FL) Made his impact in a big way this week, collecting the win in the quarterfinals. In his outing he went 5 shutout innings and struck out 5 while only allowing 2 hits. Worked in the mid 70s with the FB and topped out at 78. Also produced on offense driving in 5 RBI on 4 hits. ...
College | Story | 3/31/2026

College Players of the Week: March 31

Vincent Cervino
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March 31st Perfect Game/Co-Players of the Week:  Landon Hairston, OF, Arizona State  The Arizona State Sun Devils (20-8) went (3-2) last week and now sit at No. 18 in our latest Top 25 poll.  They are proving that they are legitimate Big 12 contenders and Landon Hairston is making a strong case for National Player of the Year at the halfway point in the season.  The 5-11/195 sophomore outfielder from Queen City, AZ is putting up such loud numbers that they are almost hard to fathom.  In five games last week, the lefthanded hitter collected 12-hits in 19 Abs, scoring 13 runs on 6 walks, a double, 5 home runs and he drove in 11 runs on his own.  For the season, he has put together a slash line of .468/.991/.553 with 12 doubles, 15 round trippers, 45 RBIs, a 12:18 strikeout-to-walk ratio and he has swiped 8 bags so far.  It has been a special year for the...
College | Rankings | 3/30/2026

College Top 25: March 30

Vincent Cervino
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Well college baseball fans, we are officially at the half-way point of the 2026 season and what an incredible ride it has already been.  While there is some separation at the top as we start to look at programs that could be potential NCAA tournament hosts, things continue to change as clubs revitalize their seasons by winning massive series in league play.  The Top 25 seems to be getting more volatile as we reach the midway point, and the second half is setting up to be something special.  The one thing that will remain the same as it has for a month now, is that the UCLA (25-2) will still be the No. 1 team in the nation.  The Bruins are winners of 19-consecutive games and have started off Big Ten league play by sweeping 4-straight series.  The Texas Longhorns (23-4) hold tight at No. 2 this week after sweeping previous No. 11 Oklahoma (19-8) and sit atop the...
High School | General | 3/27/2026

High School Notebook: March 27

Vincent Cervino
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Hudson December (2027, Woodland Hills, Calif.) showed flashes of his upside despite a somewhat uneven three-inning outing. The 6-foot-2, 170-pound right-hander struck out three while working through a couple of tough jams, though his command was inconsistent at times. He ran his fastball up to 87 mph on a pair of occasions and generally sat in the 83–85 range. He mixed in an upper-70s slider with varying shape and execution where it was most effective when thrown with proper intent, showing shorter, tighter depth. He also flashed a changeup against a few left-handed hitters. Mechanically, there’s a blend of positives and areas for development. He incorporates his lower half fairly well and moves down the mound with some pace and intent. The arm is quick, though it can be late getting up at times, and his taller finish limits full torso extension through release. With...
Draft | Mock Draft | 3/27/2026

2026 MLB Mock Draft: V 2.0

Tyler Henninger
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The spring season is well underway and the board is starting to take shape. Last week, the draft team put together the Top-300 and this week we take a stab at our first mid-season mock draft. While there still is plenty of time for things to shake out differently, here is how we see things shaping up at this point in the draft cycle.  Pick Team Selection Position School 1 Chicago White Sox Roch Cholowsky SS UCLA 2 Tampa Bay Rays Justin Lebron SS Alabama 3 Minnesota Twins Grady Emerson SS Fort Worth Christian 4 San Francisco Giants Jackson Flora RHP UC Santa Barbara 5 Pittsburgh Pirates Vahn Lackey C Georgia Tech 6 Kansas City Royals Drew Burress OF Georgia Tech 7 Baltimore Orioles Ace Reese 3B Mississippi State 8 Athletics Jacob Lombard SS Gulliver Schools 9 Atlanta Braves Eric Booth Jr. OF Oak Grove 10 Colorado Rockies AJ Gracia OF Virginia 11 Washington Nationals Gio Rojas LHP...
Juco | Rankings | 3/25/2026

JUCO Top 25: March 25

Blaine Peterson
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Another strong week of Juco baseball for teams in our Top 25, and as you may see, our field is the same from a week prior with each and every team handling business in their weekend sets to hold fast to their spots on the board. Some notable movement though inside the Top 5 with Gaston jumping up to number 2 after a 33-2 start to the 2026 season as well Cloud County cracking the Top 15 for the first time all year. Looking forward to watching conference play around the country as we approach the final stretch of the regular season. Rk. School Record 1 Johnson County (KS) 30-2 2 Gaston (NC) 33-2 3 Florida Southwestern (FL) 26-7 4 Walters State (TN) 26-6 5 Chipola (FL) 29-5 6 Florence-Darlington (SC) 29-6 7 Blinn (TX) 22-8 8 McLennan (TX) 20-7 9 Cochise (AZ) 28-6 10 Pearl River (MS) 25-7 11 Georgia Highlands (GA) 30-8 12 Southern Nevada (NV) 24-6 13 Northwest Florida (FL) 21-12 14 Cloud...
College | Rankings | 3/25/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: March 25

Nick Herfordt
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Every preseason, analysts and voters pour enormous effort into ranking the small college baseball landscape — poring over returning rosters, transfer additions, coaching changes, and historical trends to assemble the most accurate picture they can of who will be contending when the postseason arrives. And most years, they get it largely right. But the nature of college baseball, with its massive rosters, unpredictable development arcs, and ever-churning transfer portal, guarantees that a handful of genuinely elite programs will slip through the cracks every spring. A team loses too many seniors. A key transfer hasn’t yet suited up. A new coaching staff hasn’t had the chance to prove itself. The voters see the question marks and leave the blank space, and then the season begins and the blank space starts filling itself in — loudly. As the 2026 season heads into its...
College | Story | 3/24/2026

College Players of the Week: March 24

Vincent Cervino
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March 24th Perfect Game/Player of the Week: Quinton Coats, IF, Cincinnati The Cincinnati Bearcats (19-7) are on the cusp of the Top 25 and are playing their best ball of the season. The offense has been the driving force behind their success, and it has been incredibly consistent having averaged 8.5-runs per game. In the middle of it all, Quinton Coats, is on pace for a historic season both within the program and on a national level. The 6-3/225 infielder from Olathe, KS has been launching home runs at a record pace and opponents seem to be powerless to stop his onslaught. With incredible strength in his hands, Coats creates easy loft and in 5 road games last week he collected 9 hits in 20 at-bats, with 4 home runs, 9 runs scored, and he drove in a total of 9 runs as well. As for his pursuit of history, the modern day BBCOR bat standard single season home run record is 34, set back in...
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